ACRONYMS

Will adjunct faculty be compensated for completing classroom observations of other adjunct faculty? No.

What is the process for adjunct evaluation?Adjuncts will have all courses evaluated by students. New adjunct faculty will be observed in first semester teaching here. All adjunct faculty will be observed a minimum of once every three years.

Does the Leave of Absence form align with the 5 categories…can we revise the form? It does not at this point, but consideration will be given to this change in the future. Faculty are responsible for providing evidence for each activity or project they complete.

Who informs faculty and provides them with finalized forms, Faculty Association or administration? Administration.

Who performs classroom observations and how often are faculty observed?Any full-time faculty member who completes the training in how to observe faculty may observe. The timeline for faculty observation is determined by rank.

What is the definition of a peer?A peer is defined as a full-time faculty member or a professional colleague with academic and content expertise commensurate with the faculty member who is seeking a peer evaluator. Peer observers must complete the required training. More specific questions should be discussed with your Associate Dean.

Is it the instructor's prerogative to determine the faculty observer? This depends on rank, but peer observers must be chosen from the pool of trained observers.

How do you select a peer evaluator?A list of faculty who have completed the Classroom Observation training session will be made available. Full-time faculty will select from a list of trained observers. Adjunct faculty observers will be assigned.

Do you need to identify the peer that will review your element of teaching when submitting your FPE?It is not required but strongly encouraged.

Will we sign up (or be signed up) on a list of qualified observers?You will be added to the list upon your completion of the training.

What lead time will we have as observers to prepare?Teaching Observation assignments will be made as soon as possible after the beginning of each semester.

How long do observers stay?Typically for at least an hour, but that can be discussed with the faculty member being observed. Some faculty may prefer that you stay for an entire class.

Do we get paid for prep time for observations?There is no compensation for this work.

Is our time as observers counted as professional development or college service?It may count as either one but not both.

Who developed the Observation Worksheet?It was a team effort that was discussed and approved by Deans’ Council.

Should we also maintain a copy of the Observation Worksheets?Yes. If you are the observer, it will serve as documentation for your own college service.

Do we create unfair influence by implying that all behaviors listed on the Classroom Observation Form are desired?That is not the intent. The observation worksheet is a guide to help observers.

Can you have your classroom observation done in the summer?Yes, as long as your FPE has been approved. Observers must have attended the observation training.

Can we use a departmental rubric for evaluating online classes?Online classes should be evaluated using the supplied Online Course Observation document. Supplemental documents may be used as well.

The online observation form looks more like a course evaluation tool rather than an observation tool.Any suggestions submitted may be implemented into an updated version in the future.

What happens in our evaluations if we do not have all videos captioned?Observers will be trained to note good examples of Universal Design and opportunities for improvement. A likely response to a faculty member who uses non-captioned video would be a note encouraging that faculty member to do so in the future.

The electronic form does not seem to include documentation for community service that is not a substantive project – where do we put it? YDR or SSE? Elsewhere?Under the Substantive Project tab there is a drop down menu that includes community service.

What if we complete the plan by the September deadline, but DH/PD doesn’t approve? Will we still be able to revise and come up with more ideas?Yes. Please see the Calendar on the Faculty Evaluation website to review the timeline for revisions:

Can you front-load projects for proportional work (i.e., two in one year vs. one in each of two years)?Yes. If you choose to frontload projects, please be explicit about that in your FPE.

Could you meet all project requirements for all categories in one year?Yes.

Can you submit components of the FPE early and one at a time?Yes. All the tabs must be submitted by the September deadline.

Can you add a substantive project that comes up later in the year?Yes.

Where do you add documentation to prove your hours/activities?Once your plan has been approved, you will gain access to the report portion of your plan, allowing you to reflect on and add files in that report area.

Over time, will we need to address all four required categories with substantive projects?The number of required categories differs according to rank. Please see the faculty contract.

Can a community service substantive project take the place of a project in one of the other four categories?Yes.

For proportional work, do substantive projects need to be in different categories?Effective planning includes consideration of different categories. Faculty need to be prepared, at some point in the new merit system, to develop a portfolio for rank. That requires projects completed in different categories. Please see the Faculty Contract.

How do we decide the category in which to put a project? (e.g., mentoring a grad student – college service, professional development, teaching? Volunteering to teach writing to elementary students – teaching, community service, professional development).Many projects will fit into more than one category. Faculty should select the category with which he or she believes the project best aligns. It may be helpful to consult with your Department Head/Program Director and or Associate Dean.

Can we do collaborative projects?Yes.

Can you count a conference attendance and presentation as two separate activities on your yearly plan? Yes.

Referring to the FPE form: if already Full Professor and not eligible for merit increase, what box should be checked? Full Professors not seeking merit will select the ‘I am not seeking rank or merit, but need to complete the contractual Satisfactory Standards for Employment’ box. Full Professors seeking merit (but not eligible next year) will select the ‘I am not eligible for rank or merit, I am documenting my Yearly Distribution Requirements’ box.

Can changes to the FPE plan be made? If they are, who will be notified? Yes, changes may be made to your plan by asking your Associate Dean. All necessary parties will be notified by email.

Is there a rubric to assess the FPE plans?No, but training will be available for individuals that will approve plans and reports.

Will the original FPE plan be preserved in the event of changes being made? No, it will be removed if it is replaced with a modified plan.

I facilitated a training at two different locations – what type of documentation do I need for my FPE?Various items may be used for documentation: thank you notes, email confirmation, a program from the event, etc.

Do you use the submit button for entire FPE or each tab?Use the submit button for each tab.

Can you have access to past plans and reports and view them later?Yes, FPE plans and reports will be archived.

Whom do I contact with specific questions about my FPE plan?Your Department Head, Program Director or Associate Dean.

Can the Provost override the portfolio committee's recommendation?According to the Signed Agreement, "In their decision-making process, the Dean and Provost may not call into question plans made by a faculty member and subsequently approved by their Associate Dean. However, the Dean and Provost may question the documentation submitted by the faculty member and the process followed by his or her committee when making their decision regarding tenure and rank.

To what extent do we have to document the specific number of hours spent on any projects/elements? Please refer to the Signed Agreement for those activities that require completing a specific number of hours (e.g., Professional Development and College Service). You should simply state the number of hours you completed. Additionally, you should provide documentation that attests to the completion of the required hours. For example, "I completed 15 hours of college service through my participation on a faculty search team. Please see the attached thank you letter from the Chair of the search team."

If and when and from whom will we receive feedback on our reports? You will receive a decision from your Department Head and Associate Dean. Although not required, Department Heads and Associate Deans may offer feedback. Please see the evaluation calendar on the following site:

What if they reports are not approved?If faculty do not meet the YDR, they would not be on schedule to progress to their next merit point. If faculty do not meet the SSE, they will receive written notice of substandard performance. Ongoing failure to meet the SSEs has consequences described on page three of the Signed Agreement.

If I've already submitted a report, can I go back, revise and resubmit?Yes, if you do so before the deadline.

Will I receive another approval? From Whom? By When?All report submissions will go through the approval process including PD/DH and AD. See evaluation calendar at the following site:

On the top of the General tab page - you will see a new button labeled "PDF" - click on this button

This action will generate a PDF of your plan with 'page breaks' between each tab. You may save or print this document as needed. Please be aware that you may have to 'allow pop-ups' in your browser the first time you click on 'PDF'.

Where can we find the list of steps, rank, pay?Your Dean, Associate Dean or Faculty Association representative.

Faculty want to know what they need to do, when and for what. Please attend a general Center for Teaching Excellence session on an overview of the new system. http://www.grcc.edu/ctereg

Will materials be available online or via email?All materials will be made available online.

Where are resources posted?All presentations and forms are posted on the Faculty Evaluation site.

What is the difference between midpoint and merit?Midpoint merit increases are for faculty that have not achieved full professor. Merit increases are for full professors.

What does proportional work mean?Proportional work indicates the work that must be done for a particular rank, or merit increase. All proportional work includes completing the YDRs and one substantive project and one additional activity.

The new merit and promotion system is, as you know, linked to the new salary schedule. Earlier this year, a Faculty Association representative shared with all full-time faculty their placement on the new salary schedule and what their compensation might be in the final two years of the Contract (2014-15 and 2015-16) if they successfully earn the merit and promotion opportunities that are available. Placement on the salary schedule determines placement in the merit and promotion system.

Because the Faculty Association and the College wanted to ensure that all faculty would move from the former salary schedule to the new schedule by the conclusion of the new Contract, most faculty will be performing proportional work to earn their next pay increase.

If your letter from your Dean says “you are working towards proportional merit,” what plan do you select on the first page of the on-line FPE?Select “I am applying for merit.”

Do faculty applying for rank pay (not rank and pay) need to complete a portfolio? No.

Do you only submit a portfolio the year you are applying for increase in rank?Yes. It is wise, however, to plan ahead.

There are concerns about the length of time for faculty to review portfolios and still teach classes (if a faculty member is on a portfolio review committee). The portfolios will be available for review for 2 weeks.

Who selects the portfolio review committee?Committee members must complete portfolio training. Committee selection is described in the faculty contract. The faculty member MAY select one member.

Can I count up small professional development activities as a professional development substantive project? Yes, if it meets the definition of a substantive project: …taking a minimum of 15 hours per year to complete; having a clear outcome or product that results from the project; meeting a clear need of the Department, College, or individual’s professional growth; and having the approval of the faculty member’s Department Head/Program Director and Associate Dean in advance.

Will we receive some certificate or notification that we completed the training provided by the Center for Teaching Excellence?No, but you may uses the College’s enterprise system to view your training summary.

Does Learning Day count as professional development?No. Faculty Learning Day is defined as an Additional Responsibility. Please refer to the faculty contract for more information about Professional Development and Additional Responsibilities

Can the CTE provide more evening training sessions for professional development?Yes.

Should we run a departmental professional development activity through CTE for documentation purposes?Yes. Please contact the Center for Teaching Excellence for details.

How do you estimate the number of hours of professional development at a conference?Total the number of hours of your active participation in conference sessions or other formal events.

Do Associate Professors and Full Professors need to complete the classroom observation and element of teaching next year for proportional work? No – Associate Professors and Full Professors need to complete either an observation plan or an element of teaching plan during the academic year. See the online FPE form for specifics.

Are there hours associated with student service?No, there are not specific hours associated with student service. You are expected to participate in your departmental advising plan.

What are some examples of advising?Please work with your department head or program director to determine your role in your department's plan.

For college service – If you reported “CARP work” or “classroom observation”, do these have standard amount of hours?There is no standard amount of time for completing CARP work; classroom observations – 3 hours.

How much time can we count for course revisions (re-carping)?Up to four hours.

How much time is counted for classroom observations?Three hours.

What are examples of team work that count for college service?Please see list under 'College-Wide Teams'

Should you include an estimate of college service hours on your FPE?Yes.

Do department meetings count as college service?No. Department meetings are listed as Additional Responsibilities.

What defines Community Service?Faculty acting in a role that applies their area of expertise or interests in the community in ways that promote an appreciation of GRCC and for which they are not compensated.

Community service activities can only count as College Service if you are asked by the College administration to represent the College.

Representing the College at professional, educational, and/or business functions

Coordinating charitable activities on behalf of GRCC

Using your professional expertise to benefit outside constituencies

Can I count a non-profit Board on which I serve as a community service substantive project? The Board is unrelated to my academic discipline at the College. Yes, if the Board certifies how your participation as a representative of the higher education community is important to its mission.

How many hours of college service do you receive when you participate in a classroom observation and/or portfolio review? Classroom observation (face-to-face or online) is a three-hour project. Portfolio review is a four-hour project. Additionally, written feedback on an element of teaching is a two-hour project.

What if a faculty member indicates a project on their FPE plan but is not chosen to participate? What are the consequences, since selection is out of the faculty member’s control? Faculty should only indicate committees and initiatives for which their participation is confirmed on their FPE. A list of opportunities will be available on the 'College-Wide Teams' link on the Faculty Evaluation site.

Is serving on a hiring search team College-wide or departmental service?This may be used as either College-wide or departmental service.

How much time is the AGC IIPD committee worth?For any committee or service opportunity whose work is variable (e.g., Academic Governing Council Sabbatical, Academic Governing Council Grade Grievance, etc.), please consult the committee chair or leader for more information.

Could an assessment project leader count their coordination as a separate substantive project in addition to their participation in the assessment project?Yes, it is possible for this activity to be considered a substantive project. Please see the substantive plan requirements for additional information. This could also be documented under College Service.

In terms of college service, can hours accrue such as three hours for one committee, 10 hours for something else?Yes. Thirty total hours are required. One activity must be departmental and one activity must be interdepartmental

Do college service hours have to be 50% departmental and 50% interdepartmental?No.

How do you track/document student advising for counselors or librarians?This is a good discussion at the departmental level. All program directors and department heads are encouraged to develop advising plans that include strategies for documenting the work.

Can I count my preparation for presenting a training session for college service?Yes.

Does attending my department meetings count as college service?No. Department meetings are listed as Additional Responsibilities.Please refer to the MOU, pages 2-5 for more information about Professional Development and Additional Responsibilities

Can you use an accreditation process as a substantive project?Yes, if it meets substantive project criteria and as long as you are not getting paid for that work.

The documents I've read all indicate that we are measured every academic year. Yes – you will complete a faculty performance evaluation plan and report each year.

Faculty would like timelines and prompts on when to apply for merit and/or rank.

Per the signed agreement, the administration will develop a calendar with due dates for the elements of the evaluation system and publish it to faculty no later than June 1, 2013 for the 2013-14 fiscal year and no later than June 30 for each subsequent fiscal year. Faculty are always welcome to clarify their particular placement in the new faculty evaluation system with their Dean or Associate Deans. However, ultimate responsibility for planning and meeting deadlines is that of each faculty member.

How do you plan and report multi-year projects?If you are planning a multi year project, you can indicate that on your FPE every year. You should be clear about what outcomes are expected during year one, year two, etc.

Can you get plan/projects approved earlier than September deadline so you can begin working on them this summer?Yes.

How will I be observed during the next academic year – by my rank earned under the old contract or by my level on the new system? Your observation schedule will be based on the rank earned under the old contract.

Will any work done this year as a full-time temporary faculty member count toward rank/tenure once we begin a full time tenure track position? Full time temporary faculty will need to apply for a tenure track position. The MOU extending temporary contracts addresses service credit toward tenure for full time temporary faculty hired into tenure track positions based on years as a temporary faculty member. Work after March 18th, 2013 will count toward the new faculty evaluation system for any full time temporary faculty member hired into a future tenure track position.